...SCIENCE MEETS REAL LIFE 2 The scientific method is the set of actions that one takes when trying to figure something out. It is based on the principle of cause and effect (Ward). By definition there must be five steps in order for the scientific method to occur. The first action is observing something that piques one’s curiosity. The second action, questioning, may occur simultaneously. Something is seen, and questions come into the observers mind like “Why does that work like that?”, or “What would happen if…” The third action is called the hypothesis, which everyone remembers from grade school means, an educated guess. This can also be referred to as a prediction. Logically, the fourth step is to test this hypothesis through experimentation. Finally, an explanation is created as a result of testing the hypothesis (Pruitt, 2006). It is important to note that the experimentation phase of the scientific method can be a very lengthy one. The results of experiments may support one’s hypothesis, but further experimentation may be needed to account for other factors or scenarios. If the experiment does not support the hypothesis, more research may be needed as to why. More experiments will follow. Experimenting can raise more questions, which may require one to start the process over from the first step again. People use the scientific method numerous times every day, without ever thinking of it. While the phrase “scientific method” normally conjures up images...
Words: 1581 - Pages: 7
... -Thomas Kuhn: “the structure of scientific revolution (1962) -he was interested in two things. He redefined the word “paradigm” to use in science -These paradigms I take to be universally recognized scientific achievements that for a time provide model problems and solutions to a community of practitioners. -Provide models (in law, theory, instrumentation, application) from which spring particular coherent traditions of scientific research. -Ex. Copernician revolution, Newtonian dynamic (new version of the world-the change of paradigm ) -Ex. Theory of light -today (in the 1960): light is photon. Ie. Quantum-mechanical entities( Planck Einstein) -In the 19th century, light was transverse wave motion (young and Fresnel ) -during the 18th century, light was material corpuscles (Newton) -in each case, research proceed accordingly -Understanding assumptions -Ontological: what reality is -Epistemological: how to access to knowledge, how knowledge is defined -Define valid knowledge at a time- it is always link on social conventions. Knowledge is never pure knowledge. It is link to the time of what is the social context. -upon which, research problems and analysis are designed (the questions that we asked are always link to the two term) -accepted view of science, of scientific knowledge at a time and scientific methods -Competing paradigms -competing...
Words: 3428 - Pages: 14
...Fundamentals of Research Research is an essential part of life, and everything one knows, or wants to know involves research. There are a few scientific approaches to test research and test data, but the scientific method is probably the most common one. Research also plays a vital role in the human services field. Research methods such as the scientific method helps human services professionals to make numerous informed decisions daily. A description of the scientific method research along with the definition, as well as the explanation of how it relates to human services research will be described in this paper. The terms quantitative, qualitative and mixed method research will also be defined as well as an example of when to apply mixed method research in the human services field. Scientific Method Scientific method is defined as the “principles and procedures for the systematic pursuit of knowledge involving the recognition and formulation of a problem, the collection of data through observation and experiment, and the formulation and testing of hypotheses” (Merriam-Webster Dictionary). By hearing the word “science”, we instantly think of the natural sciences, such as biology, chemistry, geography, and such. Nevertheless, the field of human services is also a science, a social science. The scientific method is also usedto answer questions about human services field. The scientific method can help us understand anything from why refugies are being denied banefits to...
Words: 1210 - Pages: 5
...Blessing of Science Blessings of science are numerous. Science has completely changed the living style of man. Now man is living in a totally 18 century. From home to office, from farm to factory, form village to town, in short everywhere in life now we can see the unlimited blessing of science. At home, we find that science has provided many comforts to the human beings. Whether it is kitchen, lounge, shaker, chopper, toaster and many other appliance have brought a revolution in the working of a kitchen and a housewife. Although it is a fact that science can not fight with fate and it often fails to defeat nature yet it has done a lot to minimize the disastrous effects of nature. Scientists have invented such machines like air conditioner and heater that can give comfort to the man in hot summers and in extreme winters respectively. Now there are such instruments, which can warn man against floods, earthquakes and windstorm. After getting such warnings human beings are able to take preventive measures. Travelling and transportation were very difficult and paining in the past but now the miracles of science have made the travelling a luxury. Now there are variety of means of transportation like buses, cars, trains and aero-planes that have decreased the distances and have made the journey a comfort. Now hundreds of people can travel from own country to the other country in one train or in one aero-plane. The distance that could be covered by the people in the months...
Words: 1787 - Pages: 8
...The significance and future of scientific management 1. Introduction More than a hundred years from the first publication of “ the principles of scientific management” by Frederick W. Taylor, the founder of scientific management, came into the public (Evans and Holmes, 2013). According to Hales (2013), scientific management was defined as a broader adaptation and extension of Taylor’s principles publicized by his followers. These Principles could be described into mainly three parts. Firstly, there should be new scientific methods for each element of labor to replace the antiquated management method mainly on the basis of experience. Secondly, the selection of workers should be scientific and the employers have the duty to training and educating their employees. Thirdly, cooperate with workers and ensure that all work could be finished step by step. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the significance and future of scientific management. It starts with the contribution of this theory as well as the humanistic criticism of it. Finally, the author gave an introduction of the new modern scientific management and tried to provide a different view of scientific management and explore another kind of patterns of it. 2. The Significance of Scientific Management 1. Efficiency and Economic Development It is impressive that scientific management did bring the improvement of efficiency in enterprises and workers’ welfare. A set of statistics shows that the manufacturing output per...
Words: 2192 - Pages: 9
...Scientific Method Finding Recognizing that personal and cultural beliefs influence both our perceptions and our interpretations of natural phenomena, we aim with standard procedures and criteria to minimize those influences when developing a theory. As a famous scientist once said, "Smart people (like smart lawyers) can come up with very good explanations for mistaken points of view." In summary, the scientific method attempts to minimize the influence of bias or prejudice in the experimenter when testing a hypothesis or a theory, which are of the four following. 1. Observation and description of a phenomenon or group of phenomena. 2. Formulation of a hypothesis to explain the phenomena. In physics, the hypothesis often takes the form of a causal mechanism or a mathematical relation. 3. Use of the hypothesis to predict the existence of other phenomena, or to predict quantitatively the results of new observations. 4. Performance of experimental tests of the predictions by several independent experimenters and properly performed experiments. If the experiments bear out the hypothesis, it may come to be regarded as a theory or law of nature. If the experiments do not bear out the hypothesis, it must be rejected or modified. What is important in the description of the scientific method just given is the predictive power of the hypothesis or theory, as tested by experiment. It is often said in science that theories can never be proved only disproved. There is...
Words: 1481 - Pages: 6
...word 'science' is derived from the Latin word 'scientia' which means knowledge. Therefore, science is about gaining knowledge either through observing, studying, experience, or practice. Entire knowledge acquired through science is about discovering truths, finding facts, uncovering phenomenon hidden by the nature. Observations and experimentation, in science, support in describing truth and realities through systematic processes and procedures. For me, science is an intellectual set of activities designed to uncover information about anything related to this world in which we live. The information gathered is organized through scientific methods to form eloquent patterns. In my opinion the primary objective of science is to gather information and to distinguish the order found between facts. What Science Means to Me as an Upcoming Scientist Science exposes several ideas along with significant themes so that I could test them independently and without any bias to arrive at solid conclusion. For this purpose exchange of data and materials is necessary. I am able to generate real and tangible facts supported by reliable evidence. Work of scientist is based on theoretical science. It means, in theoretical science, there is only a sign, just a hint on which discoveries could be made, facts could be found. While studying science I am always working for determining truth, based on my perceptions, judgment, observation, experience, and knowledge collected through several means. It is...
Words: 1529 - Pages: 7
...do we believe in science, or are the two mutually symbiotic? The debate between fact and fiction may have well just begun. The explosion of the scientific method and theory rapidly set in motion a system in which conclusions could only be formed after substantial qualitative and quantitative experimentation. Then the results will either concur with or invalidate the hypothesis. The results that were compiled dichotomized the world we live in, by differentiating what is fact and fiction, true and untrue, scientific or unscientific. But the fact remains that, science has not until today, believe it or not, answered all our questions about the universe, for instance, scientists still can’t figure out how many planets exist in our galaxy, how many species of animals there are and surprisingly, how to beat solitaire. Extrasensory Perception is a process whereby the reception of information is gathered with the mind, in contrast with gaining information through the recognized physical senses, touch, sound, smell, taste, and sight. Also known as the sixth sense and no, M. Night Shyamalan did not put me up to this! This essay will dive into the ongoing debate regarding the authenticity of extrasensory perception. The shortcomings of the scientific method and the theory of evolution will be reflected upon in support of ESP, while the lack of quantitative conclusions and the nature of man will be used to discredit the viability of ESP’s. Clearly, the scientific method is a powerful tool...
Words: 1118 - Pages: 5
...self-sufficient self-starter in life. We realize that to avoid undue dependence on others we must have a platform of absolute truth, something unshakeable that provides a foundation when all things whirl and conspire about us. In our university careers, and later on in our professions, we find so many people who would counsel us to take this path or another path; and often that counsel is at variance with teachings we have learned in the Church. Theories of science are proposed that seem at variance with gospel principles. How, then, can we find for sure that which is true? I have found in my life two ways to find truth— both useful, provided we follow the path and the laws upon which they are predicated. First let us call the scientific method. That involves a group of facts and statistics, combined and analyzed, from which is distilled a theory or a postulate or what might be called a principle. Often the reverse is true: we advance a principle, then perform experiments to establish its validity. The scientific method is a sound and most valuable way of arriving at truth. There are two limitations, however, with that method. First: We never can be sure we have absolute truth, though we often draw nearer and nearer to it. Secondly: Sometimes, no matter how earnestly and sincerely we apply that principle, we come up with the wrong answer. The scientific method is a way of seeking and drawing near to truth, but not a method that actually reaches truth...
Words: 2299 - Pages: 10
...physical sciences, most scientific disciplines have to bend and adapt these rules, especially sciences involving the unpredictability of natural organisms and humans. In many ways, it is not always important to know the exact scientific method, to the letter, but any scientist should have a good understanding of the underlying principles. In many ways, if you are going to bend and adapt the rules, you need to understand the rules in the first place. Empirical Science is based purely around observation and measurement, and the vast majority of research involves some type of practical experimentation. This can be anything, from measuring the Doppler Shift of a distant galaxy to handing out questionnaires in a shopping center. This may sound obvious, but this distinction stems back to the time of the Ancient Greek Philosophers. Cutting a long story short, Plato believed that all knowledge could be reasoned; Aristotle that knowledge relied upon empirical observation and measurement. This does bring up one interesting anomaly. Strictly speaking, the great physicists, such as Einstein and Stephen Hawking, are not scientists. They generate sweeping and elegant theories and mathematical models to describe the universe and the very nature of time, but measure nothing. In reality, they are mathematicians, occupying their own particular niche, and they should properly be referred to as theoreticians. Still, they are still commonly referred to as scientists and do touch upon the scientific method...
Words: 5706 - Pages: 23
...In order for psychology to be considered as a science, the true meaning of a science needs to be considered. It is widely believed that for a subject to be a science, it must have the following; a common agreement of the subject matter that is being studied; theories constructed from hypotheses; empirical, objective methods of data collection and general laws. A paradigm is “a set of theoretical assumptions that are agreed upon by scientists which provide a means of making sense of the world in which we live”. This is according to Kuhn who is a philosopher in science who stated that to be a science there must be a unified and agreed upon subject matter. This should consist of three main factors; a set of theoretical assumptions that provide a model of the subject matter; a set of metaphors that compare the subject matter in a simple and understandable way and a set of methods for empirical enquiry that are agreed upon by scientists working within the paradigm. Physics, for example, meets the criteria of a paradigm because forces are measured using laboratory experiments in the simplest of ways. Kuhn believed that there were three stages to developing a paradigm. The first stage is a pre-science where there is no common understanding of the subject criteria, or there are too many different approaches, with too many alternative research methods. The next stage is a normal science where there is a unified set of beliefs and values which are commonly agreed on by all and researchers...
Words: 1285 - Pages: 6
...PHILOSOPHY OF SCIENCE Religious tradition • Religious traditions make it their task to impart a definite doctrine, and to preserve it, pure and unchanged. • It is the task of a school to hand on the tradition, the doctrine of its founder, its first master, to the next generation in its inviolate form. Religious tradition • A school of this kind never admits a new idea. • New ideas are heresies, and lead to schisms. • But the heretic claims, as a rule, that his is the true doctrine of the founder. • All changes of doctrine, if any, are surreptitious changes. Religious tradition • School founded by Pythagoras had the character of religious order, with a characteristic way of life and a secret doctrine. • A member of that school was drowned at sea because he revealed certain secret doctrines. Critical Tradition • School of Thales (Ionians) allowed or encouraged critical discussion between various schools and within one and the same school. • Thales seems to have been able to tolerate criticism and what is more, he seems to have created the tradition that we ought to tolerate criticism. Critical Tradition • This tradition leads to the realization that our attempts to see and find the truth are not final, but open to improvement. Criticism and critical discussion are our only means of getting nearer to the truth. Critical Tradition • Philosophy may be defined as a search for truth that involves following arguments and evidence, without recourse to authority...
Words: 1805 - Pages: 8
...Final Project Complete the Final Project Science Meets Real Life Whether you think of yourself as an up and coming scientist or not, you use science every day. You will explore how you apply different aspects of science in your daily life in a two part project. In 1,500-words (minimum), discuss the following: PART I: SCIENTIFIC METHOD Each and every day, we are faced with having to make split-second decisions, and the need to solve random problems that we encounter. To reach those decisions and work those problems out you are subconsciously using the scientific method. Apply the five steps of the Scientific Method to two situations that could occur in your everyday life. Use the scientific method in the first scenario provided below to solve the problem at hand. Please come up with a second detailed scenario on your own and follow the same steps in the scientific method to find a resolution. Scenario 1: You arrive home late at night. You walk up to the front door, unlock it, and reach in to turn on the light switch located just inside the front door. The light does not come on! Now what? Scenario 2: Develop your own detailed problem/observation and apply the scientific method to solve. PART II: WHY I CANNOT LIVE WITH/WITHOUT SCIENCE As you have seen throughout this course, science is intricately interwoven with our lives: in the food we eat, in the clothes we wear, in the computers we use for this course, science has had a hand in them all. Answer the following...
Words: 3450 - Pages: 14
...Secularism A Religion Profile from International Students, Inc. Secularism: An Overview Number of Adherents Demographer Davit Barrett estimates that there are 150 million atheists and 768 million nonreligious people in the world. The combined total comes to more than 918 million people (Barrett). Toward the end of the Renaissance, the modern method of empirical science began to develop. The key players were Nicholas Copernicus (1473-1543), Johannes Kepler (15711630), and Galileo Galilei (1564-1642). Although it may seem ironic now, each of these men believed in the Christian God. They viewed science as studying the handiwork of an almighty Creator and discerning His natural laws. Galileo considered God to have written two “books”: the Bible and nature (Hummel, p. 106). Contrary to popular belief, the cause for the diversion between Christianity and science originated not with the Church but with the university professors who were threatened by Galileo’s revolutionary ideas. These professors were steeped in the Greek scientific method, which included observation to a small extent, but mostly explained the workings of nature through rational deduction from first principles, or assumptions, an entire view of the universe had been built up. Consequently, the professors embraced such misconceptions as the sun having no imperfections, the moon being a perfectly smooth sphere that shone with its own light, and the earth alone having a moon since the earth was at the center of the...
Words: 5984 - Pages: 24
...AND PHILOSOPHY OF SCIENCE IN 10 MODULES E. Kolawole Ogundowole, Ph.D., D.Sc. Professor & Head of Philosophy Department University of Lagos. Akoka, Lagos. Nigeria Correct Counsels Limited Research. Counselling. Publishing. Book Supply First published 2003 Correct Counsels Ltd. P. O. Box 53 Akoka, Lagos. C E. Kolawole Ogundowole, 2003 ISBN: 978 -37004 - 0 – 5 This book is copyright. All rights reserved under the Copyright La Enquiries should be addressed to the Publishers. Printed in Nigeria by: Mustard Press Enterprises 16, Ogundola Street Sungas-BAriga. PREFACE A few words about the overall objectives of the course is appropriate as a starting point. Historically, philosophy was the first form of theoretical knowledge. As a rational theoretical tool of comprehending the world, philosophy arose in ancient Greece in stiff battle with mythology and religious consciousness. It came out to lay the foundation for the evolvement of scientific consciousness and the emergence and development of the sciences - Mathematics, Astronomy, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, etc. In an environment rife with various and varying superstitions and myths, the study of the History of Science and Philosophy of Science becomes crucial, lest science itself falls within the ambit of mythology and superstition and becomes another form of myth even in the hands of the tutored. The study of the History of Science is particularly important...
Words: 54229 - Pages: 217
